Construction Accidents – an Unfortunate Product of the Building Boom

The early part of the 20th Century saw the United States enjoy an unprecedented building boom, both for residential and commercial properties. This was obviously a benefit to the overall economy, as more people own homes and commercial property now than ever before. Owning property is one of the safest and most reliable investments available for many reasons, but there was also an upswing in one unfortunate variable in regards to this boom – a distinct rise in construction accidents.

Below is a look at some of the construction accidents that have occurred with alarming frequency in recent years, but you also need to understand that if you’ve been injured in a construction accident, you need to contact a construction injury lawyer as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation.

Construction Falls
Statistics compiled by the government show that on average, more than 1,200 construction workers are killed every year in the United States, and this industry also leads the way in terms of workplace injuries. The same statistical compilation that was formulated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the most common type of construction worker injury is the fall, and that makes sense.
Construction workers are required to climb upon structures that are not stable in order to complete certain aspects of a building job, and certain situations and occurrences lead to a construction worker falling from extremely dangerous heights. This also falls in line with the fact that the most common construction worker injury is to the back, as the back is what normally takes the brunt of a fall.

Scaffolding Worker Injury
Another extremely common construction worker injury is the scaffolding worker injury, and this, too, was one of the leading causes of missed work time and serious injuries within the construction industry. Scaffolding is often built with only a temporary means of access in mind, and as a result these structures are often unstable in nature. Therefore, the types of construction accidents that can occur include falling from the scaffolding, head injuries from falling debris from the top of the scaffolding and a plethora of “other” injuries that result from the collapse of the scaffolding.

Welding Injury
Every year, more than 10,000 people are injured as a result of a welding accident. Welding is an inherently hazardous duty to perform, and as you may guess, the leading type of construction injuries that occur as a result of welding is an injury to the eye or eyes. Welding guns produce heat that tops 1,000 degrees, which means that this flame or heat causes serious injuries when making contact with the eyes.

Of course, there are many other causes and types of construction worker injuries. If you have been injured on the job, you may have the right to file a construction accident lawsuit. Contact a construction injury lawyer today to get the process of protecting and enforcing your rights started.